Electrical connection device



Dec. 9, 1930. H. B. JoNEs 1,784,236

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE Filed uarh 2, 1923 Ptented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES l HOWARD B. JONES, F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS ELECTRICAL CONNECTION DEVICE Application filed March 2,

These ,improvements` relate to electrical connection devices of the plug-and-socket type according to which the desired contacts are made and broken by push and pull movements of the operator. Such devices broad.-

ly are well known and the present advance is largely in features of construction and arrangement of parts. From -,the construction herein illustrated as a preferred embodiment of the improvements such objects and advantages are had at a notably low cost, simplicity of parts, ease in assemblage, permanency and security of connections, and the important fact that a materially large number of contact elements may be assembled in relatively small space for simultaneous use.

The pres-ent construction is an improvement on that of my .copending application, Serial No. 584,901 filed August 28, 1922, on

electrical connection devices.

In the accompanying drawings, Which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a medial longitudinal section through a socket unit and a plug unit adapted for use in one kind of installation;'Fig. 2 is an end view of the socket member of Fig. 1 and except for its outer circular line is an end view of the socket member of Fig. 5; Fig. 3 is an end view of the plug member of Figs. 1 and 6; Fig. 4 is a face view of a marking template and diagram card useful in the installation of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a socket member operatively positioned upon a panel or the like and adapted for use in connection with the plug member of Flgs. 1 and 6; Fig. 6 is I another medial longitudinal -section through the plug member of Fig. 1, the central stem being shown in full, the member of Fig. 6 being shown in position for application of the socket member of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a view of one pf the cotter pins serving as male conductor plug elements.

The device comprises two principal partsa socket member and a. plug member. rIhe respective plug members 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 6 have the same construction. The socket member 11 of Fig. 1 is provided for 50 use in. instances in --Which lead wires may with a nice it upon the socket member base 1923. .serieu No. 622,241.

more easily be extended to a freely movable socket member than to one permanently secured on a panelboard or the like. Such an instance occurs in radio receiving sets in -Which there are a plurality of terminal posts 56 on the outer surface ofthe rear wall of the instrument housing adapted t'o receive the. desired lead wires. In such case the instrument is already wired up to these binding posts and the use of short lead wires from the binding posts respectively to the socket' member 12 makes for a construction having many advantages overJthe older practice of frequently connecting and disconnecting the lead wires at the binding posts.

In the construction of Fig. 5 the. socket member 12 is secured to a panel board or the like 13, and `this construction makes for many advantages in instances where it is feasible readily to wire the instrument up to such a socket member 12, as in new constructions and in` various types of instrument construction now in use.v

The plug member 10 is shown as comprising a substantially cylindrical housing 14 which in my ractice is made of hard rubber. It has a forward flange-like extension 15 of such interior diameter that it telescopes 16 of Fig. 1 or 1 of Fig. 5. The housing 14 is interiorly screw threaded at 18 to receive vthe interiorly threaded supporting member 20, which member 20 is in my practice of hard rubber. It is centrally bored at 21, Fig. 3, and is provided also with a plurality of holes as 22 parallel to each other and to the hole 21 and these holes extend in the lon- 'gitudinal'direction of the plug member and are circumferentially spaced apart in order to accommodate a plurality of plug elements 23 (seven being shown) as well illustrated in Fig. 3. These plug elements 23 are in my practice cotter pins of brass or iron, each having the ordinary head 24, theV plug elements 23 extending through the holding 95 member 20 and projecting well beyond the same. The housing wall 14 is interiorly thickened at 25 and is provided with an outlet opening at 26 for lead-wires. It will be noted from Figkl that tb@ annular shoulder rez at 25 is' in contact with the heads 24 of the plug elements, these plug elements or headed contact stems being t ereby held against, l inward movement when pressure is applied` upon their front ends, as in the act of pushing the contact stems into the socket elements respectively. From Fig. 6 it will be noted that there is a centrally arranged uiding stem 27 having 10 a collar 28 thereon tting into a recess of the same shape in the supporting member and from Figs. 1 and 3 it well appears that this guiding stem 27 is longitudinally slotted o1 grooved at 28. From Fig. 1 it i5 will be noted that a short pin 30 extends from the supporting member 2O longitudinally so as to project into the groove 28 of the col- .lar. The stem 27 may therefore be assembled with the supporting member 2O in only 2o one position, a feature which is important since the relative position of the slot or groove 28, as will hereinafter be shown, determines the roper operative relation of the plug mem er to the socket member.

The stem 27 has an integral threaded part o r extension 31 passing through the supporting member 20 and l"well int-o the housing outlet opening 26. On the threaded stem 31 is a relatively long tube-like nut member 32 having an annular recess at 33 near its free end. This long nut member 32 is in my practice made of hard rubber. By tightening the nut member 32 upon the holding member 20, the stem 27, the collar 28, and the threaded part 31 are held firmly and rigidly upon the supporting member 20. The nut member 32 has the further functionof constituting a postl or support for wires W secured as by soldering to the heads 24 ofthe contact stems 23, a winding of cord or tape 34 holding these wires tightly upon the post 32.l Any pulling strains upon the/.wires are therefore communicated directly to ,the post and thence to the rest of the device, and the-soldered connections between the wires and the plug elements are saved from the effect of such strains. It will be noted also that the post 32 so well occupies the hole 26 in the housingt that there is only-about suiiicient space le to permit the wires to-pass through, this close arrangement of the parts providing additional security against the effects of pull: ing strains which are frequently not directed in straight-away lines, and it also makes for a. good and neat connection between the wires and the housing member at the opening 26.

Referring to Fig. 5 the socket member there shown includes the vdisc-like base.17, which in my practice is of hard rubber and which is centrallybored to accommodate the 'female guiding member 40 having a hollow interior adapted to accommodate the male guiding member 27 of Fig. 1 or Fig. 6 with an easy-slidingfit. A collar 41 on the mem- .3 .ber 40 fits into a recess of the same shape in the base 17, the collar 4,1 carrying a radiallydisposed pin 42, the member 17 having a small recess accommodating the outer end of the pin 42, as well seen in Fig. 2, whereby the female uiding member 40 maybe assembled with t e base 17 inb only one relative position. The pin 42 (Fig. 2) projects into vthe path of the stem 27. A substantially cylindrical nut member 43 is threaded upon the threaded free or inner end of the member 40, the member 40 thus being a bolt-like member, this nut member 43 being relatively long and slender in order that it may operate as a nut in a relatively small central space and be turned lat a convenient place away fromfother parts as by means of a pin inserted in a pair of oppositely disposed holes 44. 1y l A plurality of rod-like conductors or socket elements 45 are carried by the base 17, each socket element being a rod-like piece of metal hollowed interiorly at 46, Fig. 6, to accommodate the plugs or stems 23, Fig. 5, with a snug sliding iit for making electrical contact. Each socketl element 45 has an annular iiange-like head 47, and adjacent to the head a screw thread 48 of wide pitch is formed upon the body of the element. In assembling the socket elements 45 with the base 17 the base is first steamed and softened and then these socket elements are inserted in the respective holes accommodating them and simply pushed inward, the action of the screw threads 48 being to cause the socket elements to turn and thread their way into the material, and thereupon to become firmly locked in position. The socket elements 45 are sufficiently long to extend through a panel or the like 13, and their free ends are bored into slightly at 50 to accommodate the ends of the wires X, Where these wires are soldered. f

The construction of Fig. 5 may Very readily be applied to an instrument panel. The first step is to take the cardboard disc 52, Fig. 4,

'and hold it against the front wall of the panel at the desired placefand mark the central hole 53 and the circularly arranged holes 54 upon the panel. The panel is then bored in accordance with the markings made. Thereupon the base 17 is applied to the outer surface of the panel as 13 with the rod-like socket elements 45 and the guiding stem 40 extending through the holes made for them respectively.

i In my practice the ends of the stems 40 are respectively colored, as by a small patch `of paint thereon, in accordance with the colors represented on the disc 52, andthe disc 52 is positioned as shown in Fig. 5 with the several colors marked thereon associated with the same colors respectively applied to the socket elements 45. The nut member 43 is next applied, and this holds the socket member complete upon the panel or board 1.3. The insulation of the wires X respectiyely are marked with paint to correspond with the colors shown on the disc of Fig. 4,

and these wires (to be understood as beingA seven in number to correspond with the seven connections contemplated by this particular illustration) are then soldered to the socket elements 45 in accordance with the colors indicated. With the various parts so respectively colored the possibility of making an improper connection is rendered Isubstantially' nil. In my practice the wires secured to the plug elements 23 and these plug elements are also correspondingly colored. Referring now to Fig. 1, the socket member 11 there shown needs but little description over that given for Fig. 5, and corresponding parts are given the same reference characters. It will be noted that the housing 50 is the same as the housing 14 except thatthe interiorly-threaded part 51 is immediately adjacent to the open end of the housing in the housing 11. A further difference is in the fact that the base 53, while having a part corresponding to the disc 17 of Fig. 5, has also a threaded extension adapted to interfit with the threads of the housing at 51. v The same socket elements 45 are employed, and the wires which extend Vtherefrom pass between the nut member 43a and the opening 26a substantially as already described with respect to the other end portion of Fig. 1,

The nut member 43a is lengthened somewhat over the member 43 of Fig. 5 and is provided with an annular recess at 55 whereby a Winding of cord around the outside of the wires there binds the wires firmly upon this post-like extension 43a, thus saving the soldered connections.

- From Figs. 1 and 5 it will be observed that the heads of the socket members 45 are below the face surface of the base carrying them. This is a safety provision adapted to prevent the possibility of short-circuiting the instrument through carelessness. When the main parts are normally applied to each other the guiding stem 27 insures against every such mischance.

In order simultaneously to make the seven connections indicated the projecting guiding stem 27 ofthe plug member is inserted into the hollow. interior of the female guiding member 40 with the projecting end of the pin 42, Fig. 2, engaged in the longitudinal slot 28 of the guiding stem 27, thus insuring that the two members shall always be applied to each other with the parts in the same'relative position. Thereupon the plug member is simply moved forward toward the socket member until the plug elements 23 interfit within the hollow socket elements 45, the disc 17 of Fig. 5 or the same part 16 of Fig. 1 telescoping into the open end of the housing 14. A pull upon the plug member at once breaks all of the connections.

device. The opportunity for miscoiinections under the old practice-Was very great, while according to these improvements, not only is a large amount of time saved, and trouble and inconvenience avoided, but the possibility of an improper connection is eliminated. It would be feasible in any installation to use the plug-and-socket construction of Fig. 1, but since the use of the device of Fig. 5 calls for the boring of only small holes within the capacity of persons ordinarily engaged in setting up such instruments that simple form of socket member is preferable where feasible, since it amounts to but arsmall and neat-looking addition to the devices appearing on the face of the panel and avoids an extension such as wires leading to the socket element of Fig. 1. The device as a whole is exceedingly simple in construction and may be'quite cheaply produced in quantities.

Reference should be had to the 'appended claims to determine the scope of the improvements herein set forth.

I claim:

1. VAn electrical connection plug of the character described comprising in combination a` housing member of insulating material having an openend ladapted to receive a socket member, a supporting member readiyly removably positioned within said housing member and at amaterially great distance from the open end thereof, said supporting member having a plurality of substantially parallel apertures, a contact stem positioned loosely in and extending through each of said apertures and directed'toward said open end l of said housing member, the ends of said stems being on the inne-r side of said support- `ing member, said .housing member having means adapted to hold said stems against inward longitudinalv movement when the device is in assembled relation.

2. The combination of claim 1 hereof in which said supporting member is in threaded engagement with the housing member.

3. The combination of clairnf'l hereof-in which said .housing member substantially circular in cross view, andf/,sai'd stems are circularly arranged. l 4. The combination of'elaim 1 hereof 'in which there is also a centrally-arranged postlike member extending from said supporting member in a direction awayfrom sald open end of the housing, the housing having an outtion a hollow housing);i

let opening` forL Wires substantially coaxial with said member bem'g adapted to have wires bound thereagainst.

5. An electrical connection device of the character described comprising in combinamember having a cylindrical part, aY disc li e member threaded into said cylindrical part and extending transversely in the form of a wall for holding a plurality of contact members, a plurality of Contact' members held by said member to extend substantially parallel to each other to ward one end of the housing member, a guide member rigidly carried b said holdinlg means to extend substantial y parallel wit said contact stems, said guide member having an end projecting inwardly through and beyond said member so as to extend beyond the inner side thereof, said inwardly-projecting end forming a support for holding Wires in rigid relation to the deviceas a whole.

6. The combination of claim 5 hereofin which said contact members are substantially circularly arranged and said guide member is a'substantially long stem centrally arranged with respect to the contact members.

7. The combination of claim 5 hereof in which said inwardly-projecting end of the guide member carries an insulating member against which the wires may be bound.

8. In an electrical connection device of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical male member and a cylindrical female member formed for telesco ic connection with each other, each thereoi3 having in substantially circular arrangement at least five contact elements arranged and adapted to have interfitting connection with respective contact elements of the other member, one of said members comprising a plate-like element having means for ho ding it outstanding from and in fixed relation to supporting means and having its contact elements long enough and free to extend through the supporting means for wire connections thereto, said members having cooperating means for providing that the Contact elements of one member shall engage only predetermined contact elements respectively of the other member, the one of said members which is not to be relatively fixed comprising a shell'adapted to telescope upon said platelike element and having wires connected'to its contact elements respectively and extending through an opening provided in the shell.

9. The combination of claim 8 hereof in which the means for holding said plate-like element comprise a hollow bolt and the mem y ber not to be relatively fixed has a central stem adapted to telescope into'said hollow bolt.

YITIOWARD' B. JONES.

ost-like member.7 said post-likey 

